No more bananas

I’m not sure if I will eat bananas in the future. Not that I don’t like the taste anymore. No, I probably cannot longer stand the boxes they are shipped in.

I’m up in Scotland. Last Saturday I took the last 6 banana boxes to IJmuiden, put them on a pallet and shrink-wrapped the pallet; all ready for shipping on the Sunday. I shipped out on the Saturday, with Robbie. I had a good night on the ferry. For more than one reason. It was the first time in days that I had a propper bed to sleep in. And, realising how much work I did over the last week, I thought I’d deserve a mud slide (a cocktail with a lot of chocolate and ice). Unlike other people I was fresh as a daisy the next morning…

Robbie got a change-over at the Cedar Cafe. And who was also at the Cedar Cafe? Lawrance, on his way to Holland. So we had some time to kiss-and-cuddle. After tipping at Aberdeen Airport I was back in the yard around half past four, and in Newmachar just before five. I open the door to the spare bedroom, to put my jacket on a hook, and what are the first things I see? Banana boxes, of course the same ones I shipped over to the UK on the first two pallets.

Do these boxes seem familiar?

I left a more or less empty house. Last Wednesday the Council collected my seat and sofa’s. Plus a demolished wardrobe, that I put on one of the sofa’s plus a wicker chair. That was more than allowed, but they took it anyway.

More than allowed, but…

That left me with some smaller stuff, that I took to the skip the next day in my car.

Also for the skip

I also went to the Council to renew my passport. As of April our passports now expire after ten years, instead of five years, so I don’t have to go to the Dutch embassy until 2024.

On the Friday Wojciech, the Polish handyman, repaired the ceiling in my former office. He bought my washing machine and my tumble dryer, but he had to come back with a friend on the Saturday morning to collect them. The washing machine was too heavy.

Empty (after 14 months)

And so I left an empty house, took the borrowed sleeping mattress back to my beautician, and made my way to IJmuiden. I’ll be back after the holidays to collect my new passport. I’ll try to make an appointment with my dentist. And there might be a goodbye-party from one of my clients. So in order to have a place to stay the house is not completely empty. I left a seat, my self-deflating mattress plus duvet plus pillow, one mug, a plate, a knife and a fork.

Once I got over the shock of seeing all these familair banana boxes again (now in Scotland), I prepare myself supper from the food Lawrance bought for me, switched on the electric blanket, had a glass of wine, and went to bed.

After a lazy Monday, waiting for work to be send to me, that, up till now, I never got, it was back to doing things again. With the van from the site manager I collected the two pallets that shipped out on Sunday.

More boxes

There is absolutely no room left in the spare bedroom, so I leave the three boxes, with all the stuff for the maiden trip, in the boot of the car, and pile the others up in the living room.

Is all this going to fit in the boat?

After that it’s time for my appointment with Elaine, my hair dresser. As always she manages to make me look completely different again. I will certainly miss her in the future…

This morning, after another perfect night, I check my email (no, still no work), and make this blog up to date. Lawrance is off the ferry and on his way home. Only a couple of hours and it’s holiday time.